Really end of summer blooms- September almost here

Came from this behemoth
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1327068/

Who thought we had so many late summer flowers? We must be awesome gardeners!!

Sorry! Nice pictures, worth going back for!

If nothing else--the BRUGS and Daturas will rule this time of year

--Here is my pink brug--doing pretty good at this time..
--Three of the blooms
--The yellow Datura waking up
--Yellow datura--macro shot
--Dr. Seuss ready to pop....again--it just finished...

G.

typwc pretty sunflowers! i didn't get any planted this year!! sometimes we get a volunteer from the bird feeders, but so far i don't see any =( oh well

Salvia guaranitica (mixed w/salvia black and blue) patch is thriving
Caryopteris x clandonensis, “blue mist spiraea”
blue phlox from Pixie ~ thank you! just love it
G. four o'clocks going to seed now. collected some this am. G. they are another fav this summer ~ TY!!

not the greatest pic, but this is my unknown salvia... anyone know what kind it is? it probably is a common one. it has a burst of pink leaves at the top of it. I collected some seeds this am

Plumie WILL open some blooms this year YAYYYYYY

Wind/Diana Those blue phlox from Pixie are really calling to me. Hope you can save some seed as I'd love to try some. I've had incredibly good luck with some conainerized phlox that are blooming in way less sun than I ever thought they would and phlox are definitely flowers that will thrive in Vermont. Saw some incredible colors up there recently but nothing like that blue!

Reposting pictures of echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' first year available. Seed grown, not tissue cultured. Will try saving seeds.

Happy, this echinacea may be a good candidate for your front hill! Ric and Holly, 'Cheyenne Spirit' is available in plugs for your greenhouse association orders in Spring, or maybe you'd like to grow from seed for MAF swapping....

Coleup -- it is really lovely. I toyed with getting seeds -- but I am way behind on what I need to do in the yard. Plus until something dies on my "difficult front hill" (my husband got tired of me calling it the "awful front hill"), it is fully planted.

OMG !!!!! That is fantabulous news Happy!

I'm thinking of bringing my pictured plants to the swap so people can see them up close. I think they would be great to have waiting in the wings. I'm thinking if they aren't too difficult to raise from seed to flower this first season (the jury is out on wintersowing for first year bloom) they could be treated like a later blooming annual in containers or beds and borders and then the colors I like could be transplanted in the Fall to permanent locations.

May I refer to your hill as Happy's 4F Hill? (Finally Fully Flowered Front Hill) Now on to building that oven!

Coleup -- you are too funny -- but if I called it the 4F Hill I think I'd use another word for the "F"s, same word four times .... ! It was a ridiculous amount of work, that hill. It took virtually all summer (and spring and the winter before that) to get it planted -- and so replace plants that didn't make it -- and weeding was a bear. Now it looks odd, because some plants filled in fast and then there are big open spaces where tiny plants are just sitting there and not (yet) doing anything. But still, it looks better than it did before I started, so that's something! I was just out on it yesterday trying to plant some Yucca's I had peeled off the mother plant, and kept losing my balance -- I had to use the shovel to balance myself! And then I slipped and squashed the yucca I had just planted -- I decided it had better fend for itself.

The rest of my yard has been completely ignored this summer and is COVERED in weeds!

What happens on 4FHill stays on 4FHill!

ROFLOL

Sally, Jumping up and down clapping. Bloom Plumie, Bloom.
Happy what great news. Now we will see how it all looks next Spring. What a task.

Hahahaha Happy, that's too funny. I agree that it's not awful anymore, but it certainly is difficult!

I have a name for your hill, Happy!

The ROCK and ROLL HILL. (R&R Hill for short).

You put down a rock--and it rolls down the hill...
G.

I actually guffawed reading about the misadventure with the yucca, happy! Thanks, I needed that. Tomorrow my first baby goes to kindergarten....

oh Karen I remember the day mine did ...I shouldn't veer off topic though. Good luck!

How exciting, get plenty of pictures.

Gita: I LOVE it -- R&R Hill - with the "double entendre" of rest and relaxation -- of which of course there is none on that hill! My neighbors who inspired the work for some reason cleared out the portion of their yard near my R&R Hill last spring and left it unplanted -- and they haven't weeded it. So they are growing a bumper crop of nutsedge and crabgrass and you name it -- all of which is ready to seed onto my hill. I am not a little edgy about it! They are planning to replant this fall, but if they let all the seeds fall, both they and we will have a challenging spring (so what's new?).

Pics 1 and 2. Sorry if you guys are getting tired of me bombarding you with pics of my front yard bed. I am so in love with this ageratum, though. As the weather gets hotter, it gets prettier!
3. Black scallop ajuga with Japanese painted fern. Be still my heart: another color combo to love!
4. The rose hips from my Radsunny knockout rose. I have never seen these before on this plant, but this is also the first year I didn't deadhead this rose. I have since decided to keep the plant that has not been promised.

Karen--

Growing up in the "lean times" of our lives--I used to go wandering around
the woods and when I came upon a rose bush full of Rose Hips--
mostly on wild Roses--I would eat them--discarding the hairy seeds.
I did not know anything about Vitamins then--but I knew they were supposed
to be good for you.

Rose hips are very high in Vit, C. That is all I know now....so, munch away.
Wonder if one could make tea from these????
Gita

Never get tired of looking at garden pics.

typwc/Karen That ageratum is lovely do you recall the name? My hardy ageratum did not come back this year but I love it as a filler.

Are your EEs planted in the ground? What is the dark leaved one? That coleus 'Swallowtail' is a great accent with those yellow tips on each leaf! Is your front bed shaded at all? I love Jap Painted fern with almost anything!

lol, nice 'hips'

Karen--

The Ageratum you have---it is so tall. is that some different variety
then the typical one we all know?
I used to have a "Tall Ageratum" and shared all my seeds away.
It was a good biennial--kept coming up on its own all over the round
bed my KK Hibiscus is now in.
They were easily recognized--as soon as they sprouted--and easily
prick up and move anywhere I wanted to have them.

I see in some of the catalogs offer a "Tall Ageratum" .
Never found any on the seed displays at HD. Need to check earlier..
Do you save the spent seed-heads? The seeds are so miniscule, you cannot
see them, so just rubbing the seed-heads over the bed is good enough.

I dead-head my Knockout Rose in the spring--simply to contain its spread.
It is on the corner by my shed and would infringe on my neighbor's property if I did not.

Do you do anything special with the Rose Hips?

See you soon! Gita

first bloom in May after the winter..
the way it looks today...end of August

It's called Red Sea Ageratum, I got seeds from Pinetree Gardens 2 years ago.
https://www.superseeds.com/details.php?id=60103
Actually I thought it was expensive, considering you only get 20 seeds for $1.35. The first year I got very poor germination and then the ones that did germinate died early. For this year I only had about 5 seeds left to try. Fortunately I got 3 great plants out of the 5 seeds. Part of its allure for me may be due to those two things (expense and experience). I'm not so experienced with ageratum, but I've never seen anything like this anywhere before. Yes, it's very tall but it has flopped down on top of the petunias and creates that awesome combo you saw. The purple-magenta color is really hard for me to capture, it always seems to get distorted by my cameras. It is an excellent cut flower. It has this funky contemporary character about it.
I am most definitely saving seeds from this plant, I haven't yet. Gita, I was concerned about which part of the flower head is actually the seed, and keep meaning to look it up online. Thanks for the information. I know that I've squashed a few seed heads over the flowerbed already and I agree that the seedlings have a beautiful, unique leaf so they are easy to identify. If it acts like a biennial for me I'll be so happy! If you want me to collect some seed heads for you let me know.

Coleup, regarding the EE: Yes it is in the ground. I received this little baby 'Diamond Head' in a trade in Spring from DG member Hoitider (who is a GREAT GUY!), along with a few other colocasias. It was a tiny pup when I got it, with no leaves, but it has since become a star performer in my front bed. It is actually far less demanding than my green EEs, grows faster, and droops less under duress. I really hope I am able to get more plants out of this one so that I can create a very dramatic bed next year. The swallowtail coleus is awesome, I know. I saw one this size at Benkhe's that they were trying to sell for $25. Can you believe it?!

My front bed is West facing, so it gets shade till ~11am or whenever the sun gets above my roof and front porch awning. From then on it's almost unbearably sunny.

Gita, I have no plans for the rose hips. They just look pretty to me. Do you want them?

typwc: I don't want to be all gloom and doom here, but if your ageratum is perennial, be sure to deadhead it. I wanted perennial ageratum for years, finally got it, and now it smothers everything else!

Karen---

It is almost impossible to separate the seeds from the chaff on plants
like Ageratum, Forget-Me-Nots, and the Dwarf red Coreopsis I have.
This Coreopsis seeds all over and comes up next year. it is a pretty
flower--dark, velvety red blooms on thin stalks. I have seeds....(see Pic.)

To save these seeds--the best you can do is be vigilant when the little
flower heads dry up, but before they burst. To minimize the amt. of
"junk" (chaff) you will have anyway when collecting these seeds, take a
decent-sized container--like a Cool Whip bowl--and scissors in hand,
holding bowl below the flower heads you are cutting off, collect all the
ones that are dry. Let dry completely in the bowl--or on a plate.

Now--nice, mundane TV watching task....gently rub each flower head
between your fingers and collect whatever falls from it. Discard the rest of the bloom.
What you will now have is a bowl-full of mixed, miniscule seeds and some fine chaff.

You could bag these up and share as is--OR--you can try to "maybe" separate
some of the seeds by dumping all these in the finest mesh strainer you have.
I use one that has a handle on it and 2 hooks to rest it over a cup or bowl.

Gently shaking it--or bumping on it--some of the seeds should fall through.
They will probably be just tiny,elongated, black wisps. You will never get them all
sifted out--that is why I said just keep the chaff+seed for saving/sharing,
or give away the intact, dried flower-heads. The most practical way out.

IF it is a true Biennial (is it?)--just you pulling up the dead plants in the fall
will disperse thousands of seeds...which will germinate in the spring.

When you collect larger seeds--like Basil, Heliopsis, BE Susans, etc.
you can do the same with the strainer--just one with medium-sized mesh.
Good to shop at Thrift stores for these metal mesh strainers...

To remove all the remaining chaff--(ON bigger seeds)--put your seeds in s small,
deep bowl. Go outside--and blow gently over the seeds. The chaff will go flying--not the seeds.
Gently shake and rotate the bowl and keep blowing. You should end up with
about 80% of clean seeds.

Yes! Please save me some of the seed heads....Just a few....Thanks! Gita

Happy--I don't think any Ageratum is perennial--just biennial.

Dwarf red Coreopsis--have had this for a few years already....about 14"-16" tall.

Gita: I think this is what I have, and it is listed as perennial: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/j870/conoclinium-coelestinum.aspx . It is definitely sufficiently invasive in my yard that it is on my yank-and-don't-replant list. But it is lovely. A friend had it in a side bed by her driveway and it stayed thick and luscious -- but it had nowhere to go there. Here it reseeds over everything -- plus apparently it also spreads by rhizomes (I haven't noticed those so much, but I take Mobot's word for it).

This message was edited Aug 29, 2013 9:26 PM

Happy--
Your link did not open--It's OK. I believe you!

I have only had 2 kinds of Ageratum--the common one sold in market packs
and the taller one i was talking about.
G.

I'd be happy to bring some of the perennial ageratum, but then that would be the only plant you'd grow!

Here is another link to MoBot
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/j870/conoclinium-coelestinum.aspx

It is a very long link and it appears it is not 'wrapping' so I have reported to DG admin.

Happy, what you are growing is not an ageratum, but what I know as a Eupetoriam and MoBot lists as Conoclinium. Common name is 'Hardy Ageratum' or 'Blue Mist Flower' It is a wildflower native to Southeastern US. It grows and spreads very much like mint and is best IMO in a 'wild' garden or 'contained'

From Mobot site"
Culture

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist soils in full sun. Divide every three years to control growth. Cut back in summer to promote denser habit.
Noteworthy Characteristics

Mist flower is a native Missouri herbaceous perennial with a somewhat weedy appearance that typically grows 2-3' tall and most often occurs in wet woods and in moist soils along streams, ponds, sloughs or other bodies of water. Tiny, fluffy, bluish-purple flowers appear in compact corymbs or clusters (up to 70 flowers per cluster) over a long bloom period of mid-summer to frost. Sometimes commonly called hardy ageratum because the flowers resemble those of annual ageratum. Toothed, dark green leaves (to 4" long). A vigorous plant that spreads by rhizomes and can be aggressive in ideal growing conditions. Very attractive to butterflies. Formerly known as Eupatorium coelestinum."


I have a place for some of your discards, pretty please?!

Judy---Thanks for clarifying this....it sure looks like an Agerarum!

I only have one new bloom to show you. My Dark-Leafed Canna is blooming...
In a couple days--I will blow you away with a full flush of my Dr. Seuss.
It is already looking presentable. It will be a "WOWSA!!!"...

1--Wind/s red Canna was first to bloom
2--My Dark-leafed Canna grew well and healthy--but just now (In almost September)
It is putting out it's first bloom. I expect it is lack of sun--as it is at the back of
my raised bed shaded by the 6' back partition.
3--These are the three pink Cannas I bought on clearance @ the HD. $2.67.
It was too late to plant them--so I will just over-winter them in the pots--
or take them out and put them in larger pots for the winter.
They HAVE TO BE really root-bound!

My neighbor, Olga's orange Canna has not even grown full size yet.
Wat's up with it this year? Same issue??? Not enough sun????
But--Olga planted hers in full sun--next to Wind's red ones.
They are still only 2' tall--same as mine...Bad corms??? perhaps...
G.

G., like the bloom on your dark leaf canna! ours is growing slow but sure, no bloom yet though. we have some new blooms of other plants; I'll try and snap a few pics tomorrow. I know I spotted sweet autumn clematis blooming. Maybe dahlias have started too - will have to get in the garden to take a look

Just realized this thread had continued here! Happy, that is great news about your wonderful 4F hill! :-) You will have to post photos as things grow so we can enjoy its progress.

Such lovely blue blossoms, Wind. And Coleup, the echinacea is beautiful! I love the different colors. Beautiful ageratum, Typ!

I've done way too much deadheading all summer long for my rose bushes to have any hips. Maybe next year!

Coleup: I'd be happy to send you lots of what I call perennial ageratum (correctly Conoclinium coelestinum) -- it is beautiful -- my husband was just remarking this morning on how pretty it is and was shocked when I said I'd be yanking it -- do be sure to deadhead it!

Anyone else?

4 o'clock
Pink Candypops' hybrid mint
Purple Dome Aster
Here comes the Sweet Autumn Clematis
Rose I got from my neighbor it just never stops blooming...LOVE it!

Jen the Candypops is cute.

I have a newbie question here. How do I tell the difference between expected fall decline of a plant, and actual disease that I need to do something about?

Post it here we'll let you know

It all depends on what kind of plant, the earlier blooming plants will likely be the first to start dying back for the winter